"Here, told for the first time, is the tragic story of Admiral SIr Dudley North, who was relieved of his command at Gibraltar for letting six French warships pass the rock shortly before the abortive Anglo-Free French assault on Dakar in 1940. Admiral North's abrupt dismissal, without an Inquiry or a Court Martial, after a most distinguished career - he was Admiral, Royal Yacht, for years - aroused bitterness and alarm among senior officers in the Royal Navy, scores of whom wrote to him: "You have been victimised." It is still a most controversial topic in the Royal Navy.

Five Admirals of the Fleet, including two former First Sea Lords, felt so strongly about it that they went in a deputation to the First Lord to ask for a hearing for Admiral North. They were turned down. The Admiralty refused to budge from behind its bulkhead of silence.

Now, at 75, Admiral North lives quietly in Dorset, still a disgraced Naval Officer, although the Official History absolved him. Like General Gough, unjustly sacked by Lioyd George in World War I, he lives only to have his name cleared.

Noel Monks [...] has written the first full account of just what happened on "that day at Gibraltar". It raises, amongst others, a grave question: Was Admiral North made the scapegoat for the colossal failure at Dakar? From copies of signals sent at the time, together with North's personal records and letters written by high naval officers, the author has pieced together a fascinating, if disturbing, account of what really took place." -from the dj.

NAPIER, Charles, Sir). WILLIAMS, H. Noel WILLIAMS, H. Noel.Life and Letters of Admiral Sir Charles Napier. First Edition.Hutchinson, London, 1917, (NAPIER, Charles, Sir). WILLIAMS, H. Noel. The Life and Letters of Admiral Sir Charles Napier. London : Hutchinson & Co., 1917. First Edition. .Pp (4),v-vi,(2),1-411 + portrait frontispiece, 1 plate leaf and [22] pp plates. 8vo, blue cloth. Catalogue of the Library of the National Maritime Museum. Vol 2. Biography 880. A full and detailed biography of the eccentric and controversial Napier, from his early years as a midshipman to Cape St. Vincent, his adventures (and misadventures) in the Mediterranean and Baltic, to the last of his protracted controversies with the Admiralty and his death. New endpapers, rubbed with slight nicking to spine ends and front corners, edges specked, spine slightly sunned, else very good. 170.00

NAPIER, Charles, Sir). WILLIAMS, H. Noel.Life and Letters of Admiral Sir Charles Napier. First Edition.Hutchinson, London, 1917, (NAPIER, Charles, Sir). WILLIAMS, H. Noel. The Life and Letters of Admiral Sir Charles Napier. London : Hutchinson & Co., 1917. First Edition. .Pp (4),v-vi,(2),1-411 + portrait frontispiece, 1 plate leaf and [22] pp plates. 8vo, blue cloth. Catalogue of the Library of the National Maritime Museum. Vol 2. Biography 880. A full and detailed biography of the eccentric and controversial Napier, from his early years as a midshipman to Cape St. Vincent, his adventures (and misadventures) in the Mediterranean and Baltic, to the last of his protracted controversies with the Admiralty and his death. Lacking table of contents leaf, lengthy note inked to front pastedown, some wear to outer hinges, else good. 100.00

NELSON, Horatio). BRITTON, C. J. BRITTON, C. J. CALLENDER, Geoffrey, Sir (foreword)New Chronicles of the Life of Lord Nelson Cornish Brothers, Birmingham, 1946, (NELSON, Horatio). BRITTON, C. J. New Chronicles of the Life of Lord Nelson; with a foreword by Professor Sir Geoffrey Callender. Birmingham: Cornish Brothers, [1946]. Pp. 125 + 6 leaves of plates, 2 folding genealogical tab les, and 1 folding plan. Port. frontis. 8vo, blue cloth with red lettering to spine. Cowie 178. Nelson's life, with greater emphasis placed on his personal life instead of his military escapades. Includes a list of his maladies from childhood through to his later years, a list of the places he had visited on duty and for pleasure, etc. Slightly rubbed, ex-libris sticker and gift inscription to ffep, else vg. 100.00

Captain Geoffrey Martin Bennett DSC, FRHS (b June 7, 1909, London – d September 5, 1983, Ludlow, Shropshire) was a British Royal Navy officer and author.

Cowie 194.

"Nelson the man - daring in battle and winner of victories, the romantic figure who epiipitomized British dash and courage. At his state funeral, beloved and mourned by his countrymen, he was eulogized as 'the hero who in the moment of victory fell covered with Imortal glory.'

Yet what of Nelson the commander? Did he really earn the fame and honor that history has heaped upon him? Did his strategic grasp match his tactical skill? These are some of the questions examined by Geoffrey Bennett in this fascinating study, the first full-length biogrraphy of Nelson by a professional naval officer since Mahan's classic Life, published 75 years ago.

Having rapidly advanced up the ranks in his early career, Nelson quickly became a controversial and magnetic figure. His triumphs af Cape St. Vincent and the Nile, were set beside failures at Teneriffe and Boulogne. With the glories of Copenhagen and Trafalgar still before him, his passion for Emma Hamilton and its consequences — the judicial murder of Caracciolo and such flagrant disobedience of orders that he was instructed to strike his flag — cast a shadow over his career.

Based on a wealth of documents as well as his own expert knowledge of the great age of fighting sail, Captain Bennett offers a unique picture of Nelson's place in the Napoleonic wars and his influence on subsequent naval history. For example, he presents the first fully documented account of Nelson's failure to co-operate with Admiral Ushakov, which seriously affected the Mediterranean campaign.

Lavishly illustrated with 66 paintings, engravings, drawings and specially prepared maps, this biography of the greatest naval commanders will be as warmly recieved by the genral reader as by the student of history." from the dj

NELSON, Horatio). CAPES, RenaltPoseidon : A Personal Study of Admiral Lord Nelson. First Edition in dustjacketSidgwick and Jackson, London, 1947, (NELSON, Horatio). CAPES, Renalt. Poseidon : A Personal Study of Admiral Lord Nelson. London : Sidgwick and Jackson Limited, (1947). First Edition. Pp(6),vii-viii,(2),3-206 + portrait frontispiece + 5 plates. 8vo, blue cloth , gilt lettering to spine. Cowie 179. An early and, on the whole, quite sensible examination of the private life of the great man. The chief focus is on the "sins" he committed with Emma Hamilton, but these are balanced with an appreciation of her own incipient greatest, and with a subtle psychological portrait of the hero himself. With index. Foxing to fore-edges, endpapers and some leaves, else very good in foxed, edgeworn, but unclipped, dustjacket.` 30.00

An early and, on the whole, quite sensible examination of the private life of the great man. The chief focus is on the "sins" he committed with Emma Hamilton, but these are balanced with an appreciation of her own incipient greatest, and with a subtle psychological portrait of the hero himself.

NELSON, Horatio). VINCENT, Edgar.Nelson : Love and Fame. First Edition in dustjacket.Yale University Press, New Haven, 2003, ISBN:0300097972 (NELSON, Horatio). VINCENT, Edgar. Nelson : Love & Fame. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, (2003). First Printing. Pp. (4),[v]-xiii,(1),[1]- 640,(2), including frontispiece, illustrated endpapers, maps and diagrams to text + [32] pages of plates. Thick 8vo, black cloth, gilt lettering to spine. "The story of Horatio Nelson's life - his naval glory, public fame, charismatic leadership, scandalous romance, and untimely death as he led the British to victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. This biography of Nelson (1758-1805) presents an account of his climb to fame as well as the details ofhis personal and emotional life. A man of contradictions, Nelson emerges i n this biography as a ruthless and aggressive leader, the epitome of a fighting commander; an ambitious attention-seeker capable of self-pity, self-delusion and childish behaviour; yet to be admired for his transcendent courage, kindness and leadership skills, which inspired love and affection in those he led. Edgar Vincent builds on research and examines the extensive primary sources, seeking to enlarge our understanding of Nelson the man. He offers interpretations of Nelson's victories to illustrate his grasp of today's concept of mission-command two centuries ahead of his time; his disobedience of his Commander-in-Chief's orders; and his part in the bloody and chaotic Napoleonic counter-revolution. Vincent also analyses the motives and attitudes of key figures who surrounded him, among them Earl Spencer, Earl St Vincent, Sir William Hamilton and Thomas Troubridge. Interwoven with the events of Nelson's career is his emotional journey, his early infatuations,his courtship and marriage with Frances Nisbet, and his all-consuming affa ir with his mistress Lady Hamilton, one of the most celebrated beauties of the 18th century and the mother of his child. Captured on these pages in all his vigour and complexity, Nelson is as chatismatic a figure today as he was nearly two hundred years ago." - from the dust jacket. Introduction. Part I. Early Years. 1. Foundations for Life; 2. Captain Suckling's Legacy; 3. Five Frustrating Years; 4. Trying To Get Noticed; 5. Black marks and on the Beach. Part II. Unhonoured & Unsung. 6. Melpomene, Minerve, La Fortune [three French frigates]; 7. 'Totally Neglected'; 8. 'My Disposition Can't Bear Tame and Slow Measures'; 9. 'It is Active Young Men that arwe wanted, not Drones'. Part III. The Making of an Icon. 10. Into the Limelight; 11. Hubris; 12. The Admiralty Dips for Nelson; 13. The Hero Ascends; 14. The Nile.Part IV. Finding Love. 15. Hero Meets Heroine; 16. Disappointments, Dilemm as, and Disharmony; 17. Neapolitan Affairs; 18. Soulmates; 19. Public Fame & Private Pain. Part V. Winning & Losing. 20. Bitter-seet Emotions; 21. Copenhagen; 22. Phoney War; 23. Fame without Fortune. Part VI. The Road to Trafalgar. 24. Commander-in-Chief; 25. Waiting; 26. French Diversions; 27. Dame Fortune's Last Favour. Exeunt omnes. With notes, bibliography and index. Very good in unclipped dustjacket. 25.00

NELSON, Horatio). WALDER, David WALDER, DavidNelson. US book club in djDial Press, 1978, (NELSON, Horatio). WALDER, David. Nelson : A Biography. N.Y.: Dial Press, 1978. Book Club Edition. Pp 538. Illustrated. 8vo, teal cloth, silver lettering. Cowie 201. "This book also seeks to explain what distinguished Nelson from other admirals and how he introduced a new concept of naval warfare, which aimed at total destruction of the enemy. The three great victories at the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar are described with freshness and immediacy. David Walder captures the atmosphere of naval warfare during the Napoleonic Wars and skillfully leads the reader through the intricacies of Nelson's sea battles. His vivid presentation of a national hero, shorn of myth and exaggeration, is a remarkable achievement." - the dj. Vg in dj. 15.00

NICOLSON, AdamSeize the Fire : Heroism, Duty, and the Battle of Trafalgar. dj.HarperCollins, New York, 2005, ISBN:0060753617 NICOLSON, Adam. Seize the Fire : Heroism, Duty, and the Battle of Trafalgar. New York : HarperCollins, (2005). Pp. [i]-xxiv, [1]-341, (3). Illustrate d with (16) pages of plates. 8vo, black cloth spine with blue paper-coveredboards. Adam Nicolson, FRSL, FSA (b. September 12, 1957, Bransgore, Hampsh ire, England). "Adam Nicolson takes the great naval battle of Trafalgar, fought between the British and Franco-Spanish fleets in October 1805, and uses it to examine our idea of heroism and the heroic. Is violence a necessaryaspect of the hero? And daring? Why did the cult of the hero flower in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in a way it hadn't for two hundre d years? Was the figure of Nelson - intemperate, charming, theatrical, anxious, impetuous, considerate, indifferent to death and danger, inspirationalto those around him, and, above all, fixed on attack and victory -- an abe rration in Enlightenment England? Or was the greatest of all English military heroes simply the product of his time, 'the conjurer of violence' that England, at some level, deeply needed?" - from the dj. Very good in dustjacket. 20.00

PACK, S. W. C. CUNNINGHAM OF HYNDHOPE, ViscountCunningham : The Commander. First Edition in dustjacketB.T. Batsford Ltd., London, 1974, ISBN:0713427884 PACK, S. W. C. Cunningham : The Commander. London : B.T. Batsford Ltd., (1974). First Edition. Pp (8),[ix]-x,(2),[1]-323,(10, frontispiece portrait + 22 pp plates. Maps. Index. 8vo, maroon cloth, gilt lettering to spine. "An admiral who is loved and admired by his subordinates, feared and respected by his enemies and perhaps a still greater test who wins the willing co-operation of his allies: such a leader is rare indeed. Such, however, was Andrew Cunningham, the greatest British naval commander, in the opinion of Captain S. W. C. Pack, since Nelson. As biographer of Cunninghams professional career Captain Pack enjoys unusual advantages: service under Cunningham in the Mediterranean and in Washington, friendship with many of those closest to his subject during the War, and a skill and experience as naval historian which have born fruit in such books as The Battle of Matapan, Admiral Lord Anson, and The Battle for Crete. These are qualifications which it would be hard to match. This book takes the form primarily of a narrative, but one in which analysis plays its part along with a recital of the sequence of events. The cadet at Dartmouth is seen as father of the man who was to be Allied Naval Commander at the time of the North Africa Landings (1942-43) and later First Sea Lord at the Admiralty. Again, Cunninghams early years of command and long service in destroyers kindled a spirit of enterprise and pugnacity which was later to result in the victories of Taranto and Matapan." (from the dj). Contents : 1. A Glimpse of Cunningham; 2. Fight You on Sunday: Formative Years (1883-98). 3. A Taste for Action (1898-1917); 4. Impressionable Days with Keyes and Cowan (1918-19); 5. Post Captain (1920-31); 6. Flag Rank (1932-36); 7. Command of the Battle Cruisers, and an UnexpectedSpell at Admiralty (1937-39). 8. In Command in the Mediterranean (1939-40) ; 9. Seek Out and Destroy (1940); 10. The Luftwaffe Intervenes (January 1941-March 1941); 11. Matapan (March 1941); 12.. Withdrawal from Greece and Crete (April 1941-May 1941); 13. The Mediterranean Fleet in Adversity (June 1941 - December 1941); 14. In Adversity: Defiance (January 1942-March 1942);15. The Combined Chiefs of Staff, Washington (June 1942-October 1942); 16. Allied Naval Commander, North Africa Landings (November 1942-February 1943 ); 17. Prelude to Victory in the Mediterranean (March 1943-August 1943); 18. In Victory: Magnanimity (Septemoer 1943); 19.. Great Sailor. Appendixes: I. Summary of Events in Cunningham's Life; II. Operation and Conference Code Names; III. Abbreviations. Penned name, else very good in slightly nicked, price-clipped dustjacket. 25.00

PARRY, Ann (ed.) FREMANTLE, Thomas Francis, Admiral) NELSON, Horatio)Admirals Fremantle. First Edition in dustjacketChatto & Windus, London, 1971, ISBN:070111603x PARRY, Ann (ed.). Admirals Fremantle. London : Chatto & Windus, 1971. FirstEdition. Pp 286, including frontis. + 22 pp of plates with 1 pp chart and several maps to text. 8vo, red cloth, gilt to spine. The four distinguishedAdmirals Fremantle who are the subject of this book are: "[...] Thomas Fra ncis Fremantle (1765-1819) who was a close friend of Nelson, and one of hiscaptains both at Copenhagen and Trafalgar. His son, Charles Howe Fremantle (1800-1869) had a major port in Australia named after him, and was Flag Of ficer in charge at Balaklava during the Crimean War. [...] His nephew, Edmund Robert Fremantle (1836-1929), served as a commander in New Zealand at the time of the fierce wars with the Maoris of the 1860s, [...] Finally, Sidney Robert Fremantle (1867-1958) brings the story up to and beyond the FirstWorld War, during the course of which he held high posts both with the Fle et at sea and in the Admiralty." -from the dust jacket. Very good in rubbeddustjacket. 50.00